Hawaii: More Libertarians running for office this year than Republicunts

Does the Big Island have a libertarian streak?

The Hawaii Libertarian Party is hoping so as it seeks to establish itself as an alternative to both Democratic and Republican parties.

Hawaii voters have yet to elect a candidate running on the Libertarian ticket to a state-level office, but the party will likely make itself noticed on the island during the Nov. 4 General Election.

Libertarian candidates are running in six of the isle’s eight state House and Senate races this year, and they are Democrats’ only opponents in four of them.

That puts Libertarians in more Big Island races than Republicans. The GOP is running candidates in four races on the Big Island, each for the state House.

“It was a totally grassroot movement,” said Joe Kent, a Hawaiian Paradise Park resident who is running as the Libertarian candidate for U.S. House, adding that many of the island candidates sought out the party.

“They are starting to question the idea that government is the solution to everything.”

Kent is running for the seat held by Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Fielding candidates is one thing. Getting voters to understand what the “L” means on the ballot is another, he acknowledged.

Most simply, libertarians tend to put individual freedoms and interests first and oppose government regulation in economic and private affairs, as well as military intervention abroad.

The party might be most known for its support for drug legalization and opposition to domestic spying, though adherents to the libertarian philosophy may differ on how far to take their less-government-is-better approach.

In a video posted on the Hawaii Libertarian Party’s website, Kent notes that some libertarians at a gathering he attended in Washington, D.C., questioned whether government should exist at all.

Kent said he doesn’t believe “government is the solution to anything” but also doesn’t seek to eliminate its existence.

For him, libertarianism means giving more choices to individuals and reducing the influence or role of government.

That means strong support for property and individual rights but it also can translate into opposition to social welfare programs and organized labor.

Kent, a former school teacher, said he objected to being required to join the Hawaii State Teachers Association. He said employees shouldn’t be required to pay union dues even if they benefit from a union contract.

That might be a hard sell in Hawaii, which remains a strong labor state.

“It is very hard,” Kent acknowledged. “Usually, I try to vote for the candidate who is trying to make the hard argument.

“Any politician I see making an easy argument, I immediately hold on to my wallet.”

While sometimes referred to as the party of principle, Kent said Libertarians can be misunderstood.

“People think libertarianism is based on good will,” he said. “In reality, it’s based on an understanding of what human beings really are, which is self-interested individuals.”

http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/decision-2014/more-libertarians-running-office-year

Hawaii: More Libertarians running for office this year than Republicunts

Hawaii: More Libertarians running for office this year than Republicunts

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